How do you Measure Love?
by Vslayer
Summary: Xenaverse AU. Xena kept control of her army following the events in Hercules, a good 8 (or 10, I don't know) years later she's a feared warlord and commands a large legion of men. After a gruesome battle, Xena and her convoy stumble across a young girl lost in the woods. Little by little, she'll change Xena's destiny. Xena/Gabby pairing.
1. 7 Summers

**A/N: This idea just popped up in my head and I've been writing like a maniac for the past two days. I have a few chapters written. This never happens. **

**So basically, the chapters will jump a few years each time, each labelled by Gabrielle's age, which is meant to illustrate the stages in their relationship as she grows older. With a little luck, it'll be coherent and easy to understand. As usual a few sentences in italics are thoughts, a few paragraph in italics are most likely flashbacks. **

**Language: **real bad, yo.

**Mature content:** Nope

**Violence: **Mild, for now.

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The raven haired warrior's 28 summer old body was particularly angry with her after this last battle. She sat atop her dark brown mare, trotting ahead of her army as they made their way back to their base camp. Every step sent a hot bolt of pain down her spine and into her limbs, her nerve endings clearly screaming 'the fuck is wrong with you?'.

The trip was silent, with the exception of the occasional muttered curse words spoken through gritted teeth; the heaviness of this battle was being felt amongst the majority of the men. Only those blessed by the gods didn't need to have their armor repaired and deep cuts sown.

The clan they went up against was led by a particularly vicious man who would have loved to claim the head of the warrior princess for the simple inflation of his already gigantic ego. They took the victory as their innovative tactics and formations helped them overcome their foe's greater number, yet the two dozen men they lost cut down a vital chunk of their man power.

As a warrior, Xena should be proud, but as a leader, the low numbers made them seem vulnerable, something that might seem appealing to a bigger legion. Men don't like to fight fair and that's something the seasoned warrior has learned over the years. Any opportunity, no matter how unethical and cowardly it may seem, is as good as any. The ultimate goal, after all, was coming on top.

_Ugly, but necessary,_ she thought. A sneer tugged her the corner of her mouth as she recalled the countless moments when that same thought crossed her mind just as she was about to ambush apprentice warlords with insignificantly sized armies.

She frowned severely, the usual bittersweet sentiment folks usually got from nostalgia was lost on her. _Gods be damned. I'm nearing thirty summers and I'm reminiscing about the 'good ol' days' like a demented sage. _

Hissing in pain, her eyes closed tightly. The soreness of the cut along her shoulder and neck was amplified as the rough material of her sleeveless shirt and weight of her battle armor rubbed against the open wound with every step her horse took.

_When do warriors usually retire? I'm about ready to pass on the torch to a younger generation. _Xena smiled slightly as she imagined herself giving orders while she got a relaxing back massage from a pretty young thing.

_Soft and firm in all the right places._ The woman shook her head, chuckling at her hormone's sudden welcome party. _Better not think too much about that or I'll give myself a heart attack._ She scoffed, not sure if the possibility of this happening was scary or downright shitty._ Both, _she reasoned.

The leader was rattled away from her depressive thoughts when one of her Captains requested everyone to halt. When Xena turned a questioning gaze his way he replied by nodding his head at the trees and bushes to their left.

The leaves rattled and stopped. Xena signaled for an archer to train his bow in that direction as a precaution; someone or some wild beast could be following them. She then gestured at one of the foot soldiers to go and inspect the area further.

The sound of his boots hitting the ground and the rattling of his armor resonated into the otherwise silent night as he took tentative steps towards the shrub in front of him. He placed his fingers around the hilt of his bloody and beaten sword, the edges of the blade scrapping against the leather scabbard to make a distinctive sound.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and charged into the greenery, disappearing behind the clutter of leaves. A few short seconds later, the bearded man emerged holding his sword in one hand and a seven year old girl in the other.

The petite girl's hair was long and tangled indicating she must has been running through the wilderness from quite some time. Her usual strawberry blond hair was dark and lifeless, just like her emerald green eyes. Hot tears ran freely down her face, rolling down her rounded jaw and square chin.

Attempting to free herself from the soldier's grip on the back of her dirty tunic, she relentlessly kicked at his legs and attempted to punch his stomach, but with all the armor he was wearing, her efforts were simply fruitless.

"Alive an' kickin', eh?" He tweaked the tip of her nose, which she attempted to bite, and caused rowdy laughter to erupt amongst their audience.

"Alright, alright. Put a hoof in it men." _Bunch of retarded clowns. _Xena rolled her eyes as she jumped down from the dark horse, pausing when her boots hit the ground. The throbbing ache in her shoulder telling her that was a really bad move. _Zeus' dick that hurt!_

"Wild too, eh? I like that in a woman!" More unattractive, big belly laughter.

Xena stepped towards the girl and her soldier. _First things first_, she thought as her fist flew directly into his throat. _Now that that's done with…_Promptly ignoring the violent hacking and coughing, the brunette put a friendly smile on her face before kneeling in front of the girl, whom smiled back. "What are you doing out here alone, pretty one?"

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, using her best tough look and not so imposing three foot height to her believed advantage. "Aren't you supposed to introduce yourself before asking questions?"

Raising an amused eyebrow, the warrior bit the insides of her cheek to keep a serious expression. "Xena of Amphipolis, and Commander of these knuckleheads, at your service." She extended her armor-clad hand towards the girl.

Eyeing it for a moment, the blond took the large hand and shook it firmly. "Gabrielle. It's nice to meet you." She lifted her chin in an attempt to show dominance and fearlessness, trying to suppress a smile despite herself. Gabrielle didn't know why, but she felt immediately comforted by the warrior's presence.

Never in her life would the brunette think a child was capable of stealing her heart with two simple sentences. She stood up and took a bow, "the pleasure is all mine lady Gabrielle." Crouching down to be eye level with the girl, she grew more serious and asked: "What are you doing here? Where is your family?"

"They killed them." Gabrielle's voice was low, just above a whisper. Tears collected on the bottom of her eyes lids, threatening to fall at any moment. "They killed them and I ran. I just left them." Her sorrow, her pain and her confusion was in the same instant and she crumbled down onto to the dirt covered ground, sobbing in her hands.

_Great. Now what?_ Clearing her throat, Xena lifted her hand to pat the girl's shaking shoulder. "There, there." Even she cringed at how awkward that was. After a few minutes spent battling with her hard-headed self, the warrior caved and gathered the petite girl in her arms, whispering what she hoped were soothing and encouraging words.

When Gabrielle's sobs and tears lessened, Xena stood up with the blond in her arms and walked them back towards her horse. She lifted her up, though her shoulder protested loudly, and settled Gabrielle onto the saddle.

One of her captain broke the silence, knowing he was sticking his neck out a little too close to the blade by questioning his leader. "P-pardon Commandant, but you're not seriously thinking of bringing her with us are you?"

"And what else am I suppose to do?" She replied sharply as she sat herself down behind the trembling girl. Noticing this, Xena unpinned her cape from her left metal pauldron and wrapped it around the petite shivering body.

"With all due respect, she is not our responsibility." The man reasoned.

Turning towards him, she sought his eyes and pinned them like daggers. "I have no desire to heed your suggestion. With all due respect, Daemon." Her tone made it clear her decision was final. No one dared to discuss the matter further, at least not on the way back to their encampment.

Gabrielle shifted, moving to sit side-saddle as she settled against Xena's chest and quickly fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. The girl couldn't possibly know if she could trust them, but she figured anything would be better than being eaten by a wild beast or encountering less than friendly travelers.

Xena felt her chest constrict at the sight of the blond clinging to her in what seemed like restless sleep. And she asked herself, how in the known world a midget sized human was able to warm the cold heart of a hardened warrior.

The gods put this girl on her path for a reason, and she would vow to keep her safe if this proves to be their will. Wrapping a strong arm around Gabrielle, she held on tightly to the reins as that last thought decidedly caused more fear than comfort.

_Let the good times roll_, she thought sarcastically.

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**A/N: Let me know how I'm doing, any comment is appreciated. :)**


	2. 9 Summers

**A/N: Woot, it's two for one today :D**

**Violence: **On a scale of 1 to 10? I'd say it's about a 'Xena's crazed maniac laughing' kinda raging. So mild, still.

**Language: **Still bad. Probably worse than the last one. It's like a gradient thing.

**Mature content: **Nada.

* * *

"WHERE IS SHE?!" The warrior yelled loud enough to scratch her throat raw with no more than three words.

_She's finally lost it, _one of the soldier thought.

_Did the vein on her forehead burst? _Another wondered as he narrowed his eyes in an attempt to get a better view.

"Gods almighty. Do you think she can breathe fire?" Daemon whispered to another combatant, semi-serious in his inquires.

Everyone remained silent, as they gathered outside Xena's tent. There was fidgeting, there was coughing and there definitely were soft murmurs, but no one dared to answer the question posed by their commander.

"Are you seriously going to all stand there and tell me that none of you _sons of Hades_ saw a tiny blond run around camp?" More cleared throats. _Incompetent fucks._

"Alright," Xena stilled her emotions and casually crossed her arms over her leather vest, which had been thrown over a loose fitting short-sleeved cotton shirt. She marched by the neatly lined up men before her. "Since no one is willing to cooperate, I'll have to use my 'motivational stick'," the warrior used air quotes and took her time to enunciate every syllable as if she was talking to a mass of four year olds.

Unsheathing the broadsword attached to her waist, Xena lifted the blade up to get a closer look, her eyes wide and her mouth opened as she feigned wonder. "Which just so happens to be forged out of _really_ sharp steel." She examined it, running her index along its length and tapping the point to demonstrate that her words were truthful.

The warrior stopped in front one of the soldiers, whom had tried to hide his very audible gulp, but the sweat beading at his forehead and his avoiding gaze betrayed him. Xena effortlessly spun her sword around before lifting it up and pressing the sharp point against the nervous man's throat. "Are you feeling motivated lad? Because I'm going to need an answer out of you."

Before she could press him any further, however, another one of her men stepped forward and proclaimed he saw Gabrielle ran away into the woods, behind Xena's tent, a little while ago.

Growling like a wild animal, Xena took long, quick strides towards him. She grabbed both straps of his armor and roughly pulled him to her; his feet now barely touched the ground. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING SOONER YOU DUNG EATING DIMWIT?"

"I-I was afraid to admit my failure to you. A-apologies, Lord."

"If she is hurt in _any way_, you _will_ be sorry." This promise was spoken in a low and even tone. She let go of his armor, letting him fall to the ground as the warrior immediately dashed into the woods, shouting the blond's name over and over.

Over a candlemark later, Xena's wide eyes fell upon a huddled form sitting on top of a large rock. As she got closer, she could clearly see the petite girl's shoulders shaking with sobs. Silently, the warrior took a seat beside the girl, muffling a surprised yelp as she suddenly noticed there was a whole lot of nothing and shallow water under their feet, as the rock was attached to the edge of the cliff. It seemed secure, but Xena didn't trust her own men, why would she trust something with no soul? _It's not like I can intimidate and scream at it. _

Shaking her head at the absurdity of her thoughts, the brunette rested her hand on the girls back, moving her hand in slow circles. "I suppose you overheard the conversation?"

At Gabrielle's slight nod, Xena swore loudly: "sack of shit!" She coughed to cover up the swear words and the blond smiled at the lame attempt.

"_Commander, we're merely suggesting that mothering a child and leading an army may be too much of a daunting task for one person to bear."Ragnar, Xena's second captain attempted to explain calmly. He knew of his superior's short temper and adding the little blond to the mix only made her fuse shorter._

"_Would you like to know what's truly difficult to bear, Ragnrar?" When the man nodded, she continued: "Listening to your horrible Scandinavian accent telling me how I, YOUR commander, should proceed with my responsibilities and tasks." Xena spat harshly. _

_Daemon stepped forward, clearing his throat before speaking. "If he will not tell you the truth about our concerns…I shall." Taking a deep breath, the man squared his shoulders and stood straighter."We believe that not only is caring for this child taking your attention away from our goals as a clan of warriors, but that it is also making you seem soft to our enemies. A warlord with a child? It's unheard of!"_

_Xena, snarled slightly as she stood up from her chair, folding both her arms against her chest. "So is a female warlord leading a full legion. If that is what you truly believe Daemon, shouldn't you fear for your safety?"_

"_Lord Xena, that is not what I was implying at all. __**You**__ are more than capable of leading this army, as you have shown time and time again. However, I fear that the child is a liability. In all the years that I've fought by your side, never have you shown weakness, even against the hardest of foes. I believe the girl will be a weakness. I believe she is already. She's changed you, Commander, and frankly a lot of men are reluctant to follow your lead when they see you at the beck and call of a mere child."_

_The tall warrior had sat back down in the middle of his speech, rolling her eyes at his close minded view. Sure, all that he said might be true, Gabrielle had changed her; though she did so for the better. Perhaps these lessons she's learned might not be useful in battle, but they will be in every other situation. _

_The dark haired woman took out her dagger and began cleaning her nails with the blade. "Thank you both for your concern, however, seeing as they are moronic and useless to me, I will disregard that you were even in here. You may leave now." She dismissed them with a hand gesture, not bothering to look up at them as she continued to remove the dirt stuck under her nails._

_Her captain was furious, which was made evident by his fist smashing into her wooden desk. "This is nonsense! You and I both know you should have never brought her with us! No insolent and bratty child belongs with an army. She will get us slaughtered!"_

_Swift as an eagle, Xena captured one of her Captain's wrists in a solid grip. She brought his hand down on the table, palms flat, and sunk her dagger between his index and middle finger."Listen to me Daemon, and listen to me good." Leaning forward, she watched with a sneer as his whole body trembled. "There are a hundred men outside who would give their left nut to have your position. You are dispensable. Bring this matter up again and __**I will**__ make your death public and __**I will**__ replace you."Removing the knife in one quick motion, she let go of his hand. "Now get out of my __**sight**__!"_

"They're lying sacks of sheep dung" _Well, that just came out_. She placed her hand over her mouth, rolling her eyes at herself. Her voice came out muffled as she continued: "swearing is wrong, and you shouldn't repeat what the big bad Xena is saying, but truly I tell you, they're ignorant morons who wouldn't be able to tell apart their big flapping mouths from their assholes."She leaned in close to the giggling girl, wrapping her arm around the small shoulders and whispered secretively: "you didn't hear that from me. It's just a bad cough I caught, must be all that rain we're getting." More laughs from the blond.

"Jests aside, you have to believe me when I say I'll never let anyone hurt you or take you away from me. You are the only important thing in my life Gabrielle, and nothing anyone says or does will change that." With a warm smile, Xena leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "In any case, it's clear to me that they are acting like children because of their jealousy towards your good looks."

"Then why are they not jealous of you?"

"I'll have you know, flattery won't get you anywhere...except with me." A wink.

The young girl returned the grin and burrowed herself against the warm body next to her, tucking her head under the older woman's chin. "I love you, Xena," was softly spoken.

A loud gulp. "I lo-I lov-eh," this time it was a real cough. It seemed that the word was getting stuck at the back of her throat, making her nauseous.

_Why is one simple four letter word so difficult to speak? I say it all the time in my head!_ _Congratulations Xena, now she's looking at you like you've jammed the biggest jar of opium up your nasal cavity. For the love of Aphrodite's cleavage, just say the damn word! _"I love you too." _Well, that wasn't so hard now was it?_

Gabrielle shook her head and hugged the taller woman tightly. "I apologize."

"What for?"

"It was not in my intention to scare you by running away."

"It's all in the past," Xena tapped her chin in a contemplative manner. "but next time would you mind leaving a trail of bread so that I may find you quicker?"

Feeling the blonde's chuckle, the brunette smiled and held on to Gabrielle a little tighter.

* * *

**A/N: I always get a real good kick out of making Xena a total spaz. Writing fetish? Hmm. **


	3. 14 Summers

**A/N: ****No warnings for this chapter, not even language, go figure. Enjoy, and if it starts to get less coherent, throw a banana my way.**

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Gabrielle sat outside in a little clearing she had discovered a couple of years back. She had the habit of disappearing into the vast greens to hide after heated fights with Xena; wanting the peaceful solitude only Mother Nature could offer. Turns out, it was the perfect place for her to write.

Leaning her back against the tree, the young woman dipped the pointed tip of her quill in the inkwell that sat beside her. The scratching of it on a new scroll was easily one of her favorite sounds.

At a young age, Xena had thought her the basics of writing, and just like a sponge her brain soaked it all up. Impressed with her orphan's ease to learn, the warrior happily gifted Gabrielle all the writing tools she needed, and on occasion, would let the petite blond write cease fire treaties and other arrangements for her.

_7 summers passed since Xena found me. It seems so long when you look at the numbers, but emotionally it feels like we've met yesterday. I reckon_ _that's what a lifetime with the right person is supposed to feel like; like you've known each other forever but no time has passed. I know Xena's the one, and I know how incredibly pretentious it must sound coming from a 14 year old girl who's been adopted by a warlord. I mean, my life experiences consist of caring for injured warriors, ignoring the same men when they've had a pint too many and making moon eyes at my caretaker. _

_What should I know about love? Generally speaking, nothing deeper than experiencing butterflies when seeing the neighbor farmer's boy cutting fire wood on a hot summer day. That's what girls my age usually like right? I guess I'm not that different from them. I do like these things, except I much prefer it be a woman. A tall, six foot, muscular, tan, dark-haired, blue-eyed-_

Lifting her quill off the parchment paper, she gazed up at the sky, wanting to march up to Mount Olympus and demand why they made human emotions so complex. "Gods, I'm like some hormonal teenager...Oh wait, I am." Chuckling slightly, she resumed her writing, deciding there was no shame in following nature's course.

_-warrior. Sweat running down the curves of defined muscles and dips of her handsomely sculpted face. At least, now I know I have the obsessive part of love down. Kidding aside, there are not many words in the Greek language to describe what I experience every time our eyes lock; it's that piercing blue than can look cold as ice or warm as a summer's sky. A shiver runs down my spine, my stomach practicing aerobics at the simple upward twitch of her lips or of her eyebrow. It's that look, that look that is beyond words and beyond descriptions. _

_I find it harder and harder to keep my distances, to keep touches casual. Every time my gaze is unfortunate enough to peak at her lips I feel like a starved wolf, preying on an unsuspecting sheep. But I'm the younger one! I hear you say. Perhaps, but I feel like the predator, and not the prey. You see, Xena's never been out of line with me, never leered at me like many do. Some days I wonder if it's respect or is it that she's simply not interested? _

_And then there are the feelings of dread that accompany doubts hand in hand. How would she react if I go through with kissing her? How does she truly feel about me? Sometimes, on very rare occasions, she'll let her walls come down completely and I see a flicker in her eyes and her whole face softens, but quickly turns melancholic. _

_I've spent more hours than is probably sane trying to understand what it means. I've fooled myself thinking I could come up with an answer when the only possible way to truly know is to ask Xena herself. Well, here I am, talking to myself as I try to calm my nerves and heed my own advice. Ironic isn't it?_

_Fine, I'm doing it. I'm going to tell her._

The next fifteen minutes would be excruciating for the young woman as her mind betrayed her, inventing a million different scenarios of how badly this could turn out. Gabrielle quickly packed her writing tools in a small satchel and rushed back to the camp.

Minutes later, she stood at the entrance of Xena's tent, letting her breathing and quickly pumping heart to slow down. She smiled up at the guards and sent a small wave their way, "hello fellas. I'm just here to see Xena-eh, I mean, Commander Xena." Gabrielle laughed and scratched the back of her head to cover up her slight embarrassment, yet the guards didn't seem to notice. In fact, they weren't even looking at her.

One of them moved the flap aside and nodded his head at the young woman, though he was still staring straight ahead. Despite her sudden shyness and hesitancy, Gabrielle finally entered, thanking the apparently mute guards on her way in. _Not every man is a gentleman I suppose. _

Nervously fiddling with her fingers, the young woman kept her green eyes downwards as she slowly approached the brunette, whom seemed immersed in the battle plan she was currently fleshing out.

The warrior was sitting at her wooden desk, a deep frown etched onto her forehead as she played around with the two different colored pieces that represented her army and their enemies. Frustrated, she puffed out a breath of air into her bangs. Her long, black mane was loose, straight and well kept. The reason for her hair's slick appearance being the care and attention Gabrielle gave it every morning to keep it from getting wild and tangled like it had been when she first met her all these years ago.

The seasoned fighter lifted her head, her face lighting up at the sight of the small blond. She smiled brightly, and stood up to greet her. Her attire was casual at best, no heavy plates of metal covering her body. She looked messy, with her short sleeved shirt half tucked into her pants and her leather belt sitting on her hip at an angle, the right side falling lower from the weight of the steel weapon secured to her hip.

Her shirt had a deep v-neck cut; the strings that were meant to tie both ends snugly against her chest were loose and dangling from the material. Finally, leather pants and matching boots, which stopped a little ways below her knee, adorned her lower body.

The disorganized manner at which the warrior's clothes covered her body did nothing to stop the assault of winged dragons swirling around in Gabrielle's belly. _The woman could wear a simple sack and look absolutely gorgeous, _she thought with desire and absolutely no envy.

"Lady Gabrielle," Xena bowed in front of the smaller girl, a gesture that had become an accurate indicator of the warrior's good mood. "How goes it, your highness?" She stopped a step away from Gabrielle, placing both hands behind her back, keeping her shoulders squared and her chin high.

Playing along, the young girl mirrored her companion's stance. "Truthfully, my dear subject, being around peasants has immensely lowered my overall enjoyment of life." Fanning herself dramatically, Gabrielle moved in closer to the brunette, pushing herself up on the tips of her toes as she whispered, "my skin darkened from porcelain white to 'I almost look like I'm not dead' white."

"Tragedy!" Xena exclaimed loudly, placing a hand over her chest, her face portraying exaggerated grief and concern for her friend's skin color. "Come with me your highness, and I shall right this wrong immediately." She ushered the blond into the large chair behind her desk, fussing over every little crease in the girl's skirt and shirt on the way.

The grin on her lips almost spit her face in two as she heard Gabrielle attempt to contain her laughter. Making the blond laugh had quickly become a priority over all else, as the girl's pure and unconstrained joy had shown her the beauty in simplicity. _We strive to make our lives complicated, living too fast and letting the delight that is to be found in plain and in minimal pass us by_. The young woman has thought Xena how to slow down and enjoy these very things.

As Gabrielle settled in the chair, Xena moved behind it, placing both of her hands on the girl's shoulders. "What shall it be today?"

"How do _you_ prefer my hair to be coiffed?"

"Such big words you are using my Lady, I struggle to understand you." She laughed out loud at the friendly slap she received on her leg. "Personally, I quite like it braided on each side, like those big, handsome and brave warriors."

Gabrielle turned to look at her, and just like she had predicted, Xena wiggled her eyebrows at her with a smug smirk plastered on her face. Turning away quickly, she hopped the warrior hadn't spotted the rosy blush that colored her cheeks and ears.

In an attempt to clear her mind, Gabrielle focused on what Xena's fingers was doing to her hair, which made things worse, just like someone throwing kerosene in fire hoping to suffocate it. Two words: raging hormones.

As the brunette went back to braiding the golden fleece on the girl's head, she deducted that they must be halfway through summer now, just from looking at the different color pigmentation in Gabrielle's hair. The harsh summer sun caused her hair to become lighter during the hot and humid seasons, as opposed to the slightly reddish tone in the winter.

_Aphrodite is no doubt enjoying torturing me. Pretty young women like Gabrielle don't need nor want the love of old, softened warriors. I have nothing to offer her. No luxury, no promising future, only death and suffering and a stew that is never salty enough. Everyone likes salt, why is it so difficult for my cooks to understand this? _

After a long while spent in comfortable silence, Gabrielle asked softly: "is that true?"

"Hm?" Having pouring all her efforts into twisting strands of hair back and forth, Xena wasn't paying enough attention to know what Gabrielle was asking. She found multitasking more difficult as the summers went by. _Is that an old age curse?_ The brunette mused silently.

"That you like my hair this way?"

A shrug. "Sure. Makes you look though."

Gabrielle smiled, but it quickly faded as she started fidgeting with her fingers once again. This was it. The crack in the door she had been waiting for. Would she kick it in or close it silently and turn away? "I mean," a deep breath, "do _you_ think I'm pretty this way?"

Frowning slightly, the warrior finished the braids and moved beside Gabrielle, crouching down beside the sitting girl. She placed a hand on the arm of the chair, the other resting on a bare knee. Despite her confusion over Gabrielle's need of reassurance for her looks, Xena coaxed the jade colored eyes to look into her own. She held the girl's gaze with genuine warmth and honesty as she answered: "Gabrielle, the way your hair is placed isn't a factor to how pretty you'll feel or seem to others. You're beautiful no matter what."

They were silent for a moment, and the brunette wondered if anyone had been implanting lies into the young girl's head. Xena's blood boiled at the simple thought. Her nose and lips twitched as she attempted to smother the sneer wanting to come out.

The blonds' eyes flickered to the dark warrior's lips. Licking her own, Gabrielle's eyes snapped up and her gaze met concerned cobalt eyes.

"Tell me," was the only part of the sentence the blond caught, the rest of it faded away at the sound of her heartbeat flooded her ears.

Gabrielle wasn't aware that she was moving closer and closer. All that she saw were moving lips and all that she felt was the intense desire to press her own against them.

"If someone's been saying-" Xena's eyes snapped shut, her words interrupted by a soft pair of lips. She knew what was happening, felt every movement of Gabrielle's mouth against her own, yet a part of her thought this had to be a dream.

A muffled moan snapped the older woman back to reality, so quickly that she almost lost her balance. Shaking her head, Xena concluded that the warmth in her belly and the tingling on her lips wasn't the treacherous work of her imagination. _She kissed me, _was both a question and a statement. "Gabrielle," The warrior paused, a simple question burned her tongue, so to speak, "why?"

"I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time." Gabrielle marveled softly, the tips of her fingers lightly grazing her lips. _Am I supposed to feel like doing that again, for a really long time, and possibly not clothed? Gods above…_Even if the kiss was short and not particularly heated, it served the important purpose of confirming the blonds' suspicion about her sexual preference. _Xena, my sexual preference is Xena._

The tall woman stood up suddenly, enumerating excuse after excuse as she felt her walls tumbling down brick by brick. Any warrior knew that when defenses are being breached, they have to increase offence. "But I'm _old,_ and I _snore_, and I-I have a grey hair!"

Gabrielle tried to get a word in, "Xena,"

Pointing at her head and nearing hysterics, the woman continued her tirade. Add a little foam in her mouth and she would have looked like a stray dog with rabies. "I pluck them out, but nonetheless, they are _there_ and there is _no_ going back!"

"Xena,"

"You're far too pretty and young and-"

"XENA!" Gabrielle shouted as she stood up, standing toe to toe with the tall warrior.

Chest heaving, Xena stared down into dark green orbs. Taking a calming breath, feeling a little embarrassed for free falling off the deep end like a bare ass baboon, she asked softly: "Yes?"

Placing both of her hands on either side of prominent cheek bones, Gabrielle carefully articulated every word to make her point extra clear: "_I love you, you gigantic fool_."

"Look, Gabrielle," The brunette started, but was promptly interrupted.

"Oh I know where this is going, and I don't _want_ to _hear it_!"

Lifting both her arms, Xena took both of Gabrielle's small hands in hers. She brought them up to her mouth and kissed them gently. "You have to know that I love you. I love you more than anything else the Gods have created, but you have your whole life ahead of you. Even if I was to wait for you, who will guarantee that you're going to feel the same way in two, in three, or even in five summers?"

"Xena, girls my age are already married with fifteen children! I may be young but I'm not dense. I know what my heart is telling me."

"I will never be able to give you any children, nor could I ever promise you a safe future. The life of a warrior is hell on earth. Battle after battle, unable to turn your back for one second before someone tries to stab it, being constantly sore from head to toe and for what? To stay alive one more day? To be in charge _one more day,_ hopping to Zeus that one of your men doesn't strangle you in your sleep? That is not the life I wanted for you Gabrielle, and it's certainly not the life I'll let you choose."

"My life is my own and you have _no right_ to make that decision for me. I want to follow your path, no matter the cost, no matter the suffering, because a life without you, for me, is hell on earth, Xena."

"You don't know what you're asking."

"No, you're afraid that I do."

Xena remained silent. She feared that Gabrielle truly loved her. She feared that she loved her back. She feared it for a long time, and she will continue to fear it for the many years to come.

* * *

**A/N: grey hair is truly a menace guys. I'm 23 and I already have a bunch. I don't pull 'em out though, it makes me look wiser or I'm just under the delusion that it does. I've always wondered how Gabrielle would have been if she would have been trained as a warrior at a younger age. I hope I can make this believable and not too out of character. **


	4. 16 summers

**A:/N: No warnings, unless you count the armor porn. :)**

* * *

Xena walked around camp with bright smile on her face. The heavy armor that covered her body made clinking sounds with every step she took. The sun was shining, the men were snoring and she owned a quarter of Greece; life was good.

She entered her tent, cobalt eyes took in the sight of the tiny blond still fast asleep on the comfortable bed of pillows and the large, bear fur blanket that covered half of her body. Mouth wide open and arm above her head, the mass of cushions surrounded her in such a way that it gave the impression that Gabrielle was drowning in them.

An eyebrow raised under dark bangs. Xena was used to this particular view, waking up to it every morning and some days she would wake up _under_ it. Shaking her head, the woman stomped on the ground and loudly exclaimed: "ALL RISE!"

"The elves are coming!" Gabrielle yelled as she shot up to a sitting position, her hair a mess and her eyelids half opened. She mumbled something incoherent and fell back onto the mountain of pillows. A hand haphazardly took hold of the nearest pillow and covered the owner's face with it, hopeful that it would hide her from the rest of world.

The brunette chuckled, vaguely remembering the nightmares Gabrielle had about elves the first few nights after she had found her. _Perhaps a seer could tell me what this elf business is about, _Xena thought as she walked over to the young woman, stripping the bear fur off her body."Rise and shine! I foresee travels in our _very_ near future."

More incoherent mumbling. Still, she didn't move and kept the cushion on her face. There was a dull ache that settled all throughout her body like the gentle washing of waves onto a sandy beach, _except excruciatingly painful and not at all relaxing. _The apprentice warrior scoffed.

Every muscle, even the ones she wasn't aware of, burned from the previous day's training session. Mornings for the past two years have been, more or less, the same: the tall warrior would have her up at dawn, teaching her various defensive fighting techniques throughout the morning. Gabrielle now knew how to effectively block incoming attacks, whether it comes from a short sword or a spear, with virtually anything -her own body parts, as well as others', included.

_I thought stopping incoming arrows with your bare hands not possible, until our training session a few days ago. I can still hear her voice in my head: "Stop thinking. It's not your mind that is going to catch the arrows. Your body knows exactly when to lift your hand, when to open your palm and when close it shut. Listen to it." I still haven't caught one. She's hopeful, which only makes one of us. She claims it took her hundreds of tries to catch her one. Pesky liar. I'm sure she caught the first one. _

Sighing, Gabrielle removed the cushion from her face. Having the resort to dirty tactics, her bottom lip jut out in a full pout as treacherous crocodile tears filled her eyes. "Xena, I don't think I can walk. My legs hurt, my back hurts, my hands ache, and I-"

_Ah, the secret weapon._ _Well_, _I've got one of my own,_ "one word: spanakopita." Xena had observed, very early on, that her precious little orphan had an appetite like no other. The seasoned warrior had no qualms about using this knowledge to her advantage. _It's ugly, but necessary;_ she repeated the familiar phrase silently.

"I'm up!" The young woman sprang out of bed at the mention of the tasty spinach pie. She was dressed and ready in no more than thirty seconds.

Grinning from ear to ear, Xena stood at the tent's entrance, holding one of the flaps open. "Your chariot awaits m'lady." She bent over at the waist slightly, her eyes never leaving the glaring emeralds.

Narrowing her eyes, Gabrielle walked past the warrior, trying to hide the slight limp in her step. "You play dirty, _Commander_." Never has she used the brunette's 'official' titles other than for relentless teasing purposes or when the pair are legitimately fighting.

"Ah! But all's fair in love and war, _youngling_."

They stuck out their tongue at each other, laughing as they mounted their own steed. One lowly sideways glance declared a challenge and immediately the two women coaxed their horses in a full gallop to determine, no doubt, which one was the greatest as they raced to the nearest town.

* * *

A small burp escaped Gabrielle, as the overfed pair walked down the very lively market in Thebes.

"You can do better than that." Xena ruffled the young woman's hair long enough to earn a death glare.

"Is everything a challenge to you?"

"What else would I do with my days?"

"Count your farts no doubt." The young woman muttered under her breath.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh nothing," Gabrielle answered sweetly. Smiling, she quickly asked: "so, where are we heading?"

"_I _have some business to take care of. _You_ may do as you please. Meet me back at the stables in a candlemark," was lightly ordered.

"Yes Commander Xena!" Gabrielle saluted the woman with a broad smile before she got up on the tips of her toes to plant a hurried kiss on the corner of the brunette's mouth.

A frown. "Don't call me that…" The warrior uselessly uttered to the blonds' rapidly retreating back. Xena started walking in the opposite direction, as she headed towards the blacksmith's home. It wasn't a long ways from the market, but with all the villagers stopping her it took twice the time. If it wasn't an old woman wanting to shake her hand to thank her, it was a young boy vowing that he would join her army when he grows older.

Perhaps a little explaining is in order. A few nights ago, Xena was ridding into Thebes with a few dozen of her men whom needed their armor and weapons repaired. When they arrived the city was in complete chaos. Houses were being burned –people as well, if you just so happened to be one of the unlucky few- goods stolen, the works.

Xena recognized Draco's emblem on their armor and thus happily slaughtered them, as well as the leader himself. The town had proved itself to be extremely appreciative of the gesture and granted her army free stay at the local Inn whenever they pleased, in exchange for their protection of course.

The blacksmith, whose house and store had been left untouched due to Xena's nearly perfect timing, repaired the armor for free. The warrior, however, paid him in full and also gave him an extra as she asked the man for a decently sized favor. A favor which she intends to receive today.

The dark warrior walked inside the blacksmith's shop, and seeing no one behind the counter, decided to take a look at the weapons on display. She picked up a traditional Greek falcata sword and tested the weight in her hands. As she gave it a few experimental swings, Xena wondered if this would be the kind of weapon Gabrielle would want to start offensive training with.

The blacksmith emerged from one of the backrooms, quickly fixing his posture at the sight of the warlord. "Lord Xena," He bowed respectfully before he approached the woman, though he kept a safe distance from the sharp steel she was wielding. "How nice to see you again."

She twirled the sword one last time before spinning it so that she was holding the blade, the hilt extended towards the store owner. "Hello Dmitri. I trust you have what I requested?"

"Of course!" The man carefully placed the sword back onto its hanger and hurried at the back of the counter, disappearing behind it. A few groans later and Dmitri emerged from his not so secret hiding spot pushing a large crate. He stopped a few feet in front of the tall woman and opened it to reveal its contents.

The blacksmith nervously watched as Xena kneeled down to inspect the armor, his lips twitching before he spoke. "If there is anything you wish to modify, I will be pleased to do so right away."

The front of the breastplate, polished silver, was attached to thick leather shoulder straps that were appended to the back piece, which was completely made out of the same material save for the metal buckles that held it all together. Both bracers and greaves were fashioned out of leather and covered by identical metal plates that made the breastplate.

The battle skirt was made out of thick leather: two large triangular pieces pointed downwards below the belt, stopping lower than the crotch area. To protect the thighs, more large pieces were fastened on either side of the belt, gradually scaling down to the outside of the knees.

Finally a single metal pauldron, meant to sit on the left shoulder, had been formed into the head of a tiger. This piece would mark the wearer as a high ranked official amongst the other soldiers. All of the pieces were made to match the brunette's armor; the only noticeable difference being the head of a lion that sits on Xena's shoulder instead of a tiger.

Moments later, she stood up and closed the lid with her foot. Shrugging her silk cape backwards, she clasped both of her hands behind her back and stared at the man silently, enjoying the way he squirmed under her scrutiny. "There is no need." Flashing her white teeth, Xena extended her hand towards the metal worker and shook his firmly. "Thank you Dmitri, you're a good man."

The blacksmith shook Xena's hand a little too vigorously, "Oh, I pale in comparison to you, commander."

She rose a dark brow slowly, a smirk on her lips. "No doubt." Bending down, the warrior hauled the chest up, puffing out a breath as she settled it on her shoulder and kept a hand up to stabilize it. "Keep your wits about you," were her parting words.

Dmitri blinked, taken aback at Xena's strength. _This woman was graced by Zeus, just as Hercules was. No mortal can naturally possess this much power._

* * *

Xena gleefully whistled and wave to villagers on her way to the stables. She pushed the large double doors with her heavy boots as she arrived and set the crate down with a loud groan and a sigh of relief as she took a seat on it. She placed a hand on her knee, her head craned down below her shoulders. The warrior frowned she noticed she had trouble catching her breath and could feel a dull ache on the left side of her breast.

_Perhaps my armor is on too tight…_

Her dark horse exhaled loudly, effectively getting his owner's attention.

Xena's head shot up quickly, a sneer gracing her darkened features. "Who are you calling old?"

Another huff from the steed.

"You can carry two people because you're using four legs, I only have two!" She quickly defended with a light snarl.

He exhaled once more and tapped a hoof on the hay covered ground.

"Pfft!" She waved him off and with a loud sigh, letting her head fall forward in her open hands. "I must be going insane, conversing with a damned horse..." Too far gone in her own dejection, the seasoned warrior hadn't heard the stables door open and close softly.

"Xena?" Gabrielle asked, stepping tentatively closer to the sitting woman.

Xena turned and stood up, stopping suddenly as she noticed the blonds' lack of hair. Golden strands of hair ended above the woman's ears, the back looking a little longer, just like the layered bangs that ended above Gabrielle's eyes. "Your hair." She noticed how the woman was also squirming under her careful observation, though unlike Dmitri, it was out of shyness.

Her anxious state caused her to fumble with her next words: "I thought a change was in order and short hair is much more battle appropriate. I mean not that you should cut yours, you look great and obviously you're a very skilled warrior and I'm talking far too much aren't I? I was nervous, _am_ nervous, of your reaction." Gabrielle admitted and bit the corner of her lips while she patiently waited for Xena's answer.

Slowly, the warrior approached the smaller woman until they stood toe-to-toe. She ran her hands into the soft hair, giving it a teasing fluff. "It suits you." Smiling, she softly traced the contours of Gabrielle's face, the back of her fingers grazing reddened cheeks. "Your hair no longer hides your pretty face."

Gabrielle moved closer to the taller woman, leaning into her embrace and simply enjoying the warm and comfortable feeling taking place of worry. She softly thanked her mentor, and leaned forward when something behind them caught her eye. "What is in the chest?" She inquired, lifting her gaze to blue eyes seeming grey from the lack of light.

"A gift." She nodded her head in its direction. "G'on…" The warrior watched as Gabrielle opened the lid, peering inside like a curious kitten. It was Xena's turn to shift uncomfortably, feeling as though her armor was suddenly way too tight fitting for her body. "Truthfully, I've been holding onto guilt for missing your first birthday with me, and well, I hope this is to your liking."

The young woman rolled her eyes at the ridiculous statement. "Xena, you were unconscious for three days," she admonished softly.

Pursing her lips, the brunette looked down at her armored feet. "I could have avoided that blow."

This time, Gabrielle shook her head in desperation. "You're_ right_. It was incredibly _rude_ of you to nearly die in battle before my birthday." _Your superiority complex will be the death of you,_ though she did not wish it to be so.

Scratching the back of her head, she said in a beaten down voice: "well when you say it like _that_…"

She lifted the breastplate from the wooden crate, running her fingertips over intricate details that had been carved into the metal. Her mouth turned into an excited smile, in awe of the beautiful craftsman ship. She turned her head, glancing at the uncharacteristically anxious warrior over her shoulder. "I'm officially a soldier."

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" Xena reluctantly inquired as she sauntered behind the kneeling woman.

Keeping her gaze on her first set of armor, Gabrielle's thoughts drifted to her life before the dark warrior and how drastically it had changed. The young girl who was once suppose to have a simple life, marry a man their parents would chose for her, and have children and look after the family livestock was gone, irradiated and flushed out like a bad after taste. All that's left is a girl who grew up too quickly, fueling a battle lust with the bitterness of having been left alone by her family. Though, she held on to her humanity through her selfless love for the woman who raised her.

Swallowing, the blond nodded and answered with a strong and confident: "Yes."

Kneeling down beside the orphan, she placed a hand on her shoulder as the other fetched the tiger head pauldron. She lifted it up, her pale blue eyes locked with Gabrielle's. "This will identify you as higher placed than all of my men."

A small smile tugged the corners of her mouth upwards. She cocked an eyebrow and asked: "even Daemon?" _I cannot wait to see his face when I order him around. I'm getting way too much pleasure from this aren't I? Xena would be so proud._

"Yes, even Daemon." A chuckle. "Listen, Gabrielle, I'm giving you this responsibility because I know you can fulfill it better than _anyone_ else. If something ever happens to me, if I'm incapable to lead or fight, you have to take my place."

She gently laid her hand over the larger one that covered her shoulder. "I knew of the sacrifices I would have to make to follow you. I understand them, and my decision still stands. I will do my best Xena, always."

_I know you will, you're the greatest -well second greatest- warrior that I've ever met._ Smiling, the brunette nodded."And the armor?"

_I can't believe she remembered my fondness of tigers; some days she loses her sword more often than her calm demeanor! _"It's perfect, thank you."

The brunette clapped her hand down on Gabrielle's shoulder, grinning widely. "Excellent, we'll start training with it tomorrow. All that you've learned will be useless if you can't do them with the extra fifty pounds."

Letting her head fall backwards, Gabrielle let out a disgruntled groan and then slumped forward with a slight pout.

Swiftly, the warrior kissed the top of the young woman's hand, stood up and mounted her horse. "Happy birthday!" She called out over her shoulder as she left the stables in a nonchalant trot, chuckling to herself.

Dangerous narrowed emerald eyes shot daggers at the tall brunette's back. "Scoundrel!" Gabriele yelled, yet it only made Xena laugh louder. Slouching against the wooden chest, she sighed helplessly, but a love stricken smile remained on her lips. _Gods I adore that woman._


End file.
